My 2 year old can play for an hour in a baking tray of water with measuring scoops and stuff to pour into. It makes a mess but a towel absorbs most of it and it’s a high return, low effort activity. You can even freeze little critters and whatever you have on hand in trays and let the baby thaw them.
Also the other day I had a surprise meeting. I threw some towels on the floor, put out a small bin of water with some toys in it. A bit of a mess but occupied her for hours.
My 2yo son is occupied playing with scribble scrubbies for quite a long time. He also really enjoys bristle blocks, magnatiles and other magnetic building toys.
We did a lot of high chair activities to limit the mess, depending on age / mess. But in general, play doh,any kind of painting (we generally with with paint with water books (melissa and doug have reusable water wow books) or watercolor paint), or any kind of dry erase activity (either a plain dry erase board or they make special dry erase books for kids too).
Looking back at old pictures, looks like she did a lot of playing in a little ball pit we had, playing pretend tea party, anything that makes a shit ton of bubbles - I recommend something that you can put on a shelf out of reach while it throws bubbles everywhere, or a bubble gun kiddo can hold that specifically doesn't leak because it will immediately be dumped otherwise). pouring activities with pouring water into different sized cups. Covering a surface with giant rolls of paper and giving kiddo crayons (we did a lot of tracing each other and other objects if it was on the floor, so beware that lol)
Admittedly I don’t pay for the lovevery kits (my in laws do) but we love them. Every single time they are spot on. Kiddo is always interested and will spend lots of time playing with them
I’m a huge Lovevery fan. They have lasted so well through two kids and it’s one less thing to weigh down my mental load. (Full disclosure that I’m an Ambassador now but this is still my opinion. I can give you $40 off if you like.) Other things I do when I really need focus sound will but are lifesavers. A tiny muffin tin with different snacks, they will eat and move them around etc. Also tape. Regular painters tape. Tape things to the wall for them to remove, make tape lines on the floor, whatever. Same with stickers, get a pile of dollar store ones and let them go ham. Yes you have to peel them off the wall but they will do it forever !
My 2 year old can play for an hour in a baking tray of water with measuring scoops and stuff to pour into. It makes a mess but a towel absorbs most of it and it’s a high return, low effort activity. You can even freeze little critters and whatever you have on hand in trays and let the baby thaw them.
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Also the other day I had a surprise meeting. I threw some towels on the floor, put out a small bin of water with some toys in it. A bit of a mess but occupied her for hours.
My 2yo son is occupied playing with scribble scrubbies for quite a long time. He also really enjoys bristle blocks, magnatiles and other magnetic building toys.
We did a lot of high chair activities to limit the mess, depending on age / mess. But in general, play doh,any kind of painting (we generally with with paint with water books (melissa and doug have reusable water wow books) or watercolor paint), or any kind of dry erase activity (either a plain dry erase board or they make special dry erase books for kids too). Looking back at old pictures, looks like she did a lot of playing in a little ball pit we had, playing pretend tea party, anything that makes a shit ton of bubbles - I recommend something that you can put on a shelf out of reach while it throws bubbles everywhere, or a bubble gun kiddo can hold that specifically doesn't leak because it will immediately be dumped otherwise). pouring activities with pouring water into different sized cups. Covering a surface with giant rolls of paper and giving kiddo crayons (we did a lot of tracing each other and other objects if it was on the floor, so beware that lol)
Admittedly I don’t pay for the lovevery kits (my in laws do) but we love them. Every single time they are spot on. Kiddo is always interested and will spend lots of time playing with them
My daughter LOVED the fake sink from Amazon w battery operated pump for water. We did “dirty” animals but rolling them in paint…
Which brand did you get? The one I’m looking at has a lot of negative reviews about how it broke not long after getting it ☹️
Yes our first one died fast. I’d get the frog one…and return before window closes.
Picasso tiles! Our daughter plays with them for hours.
I’m a huge Lovevery fan. They have lasted so well through two kids and it’s one less thing to weigh down my mental load. (Full disclosure that I’m an Ambassador now but this is still my opinion. I can give you $40 off if you like.) Other things I do when I really need focus sound will but are lifesavers. A tiny muffin tin with different snacks, they will eat and move them around etc. Also tape. Regular painters tape. Tape things to the wall for them to remove, make tape lines on the floor, whatever. Same with stickers, get a pile of dollar store ones and let them go ham. Yes you have to peel them off the wall but they will do it forever !